MANGALORE: The decades-old dream of direct passenger cruise services between Lakshadweep islands and Mangalore was finally realised on Saturday when the first passenger cruise ship, MV Minicoy, sailed towards the islands from the Old Mangalore Port.
Hitherto entrepreneurs and tourists from the region can travel to Lakshadweep islands by the nearest ports in Cochin or Chennai. The weekend tour planned by the private tour not only cuts the distance but also the cost.
The cruise ship will reach Kalpeni on Sunday by crossing 180 nautical miles in 16 hours.
The fare for adults, inclusive of meals is Rs 5,000 plus taxes and for children, aged between 2-10 is over Rs 4,000 plus taxes. Children below two years can travel free of cost. The first tourist ship operated by the private operators has 38 tourists and 90 businessmen. The tourists in the ship will be taken for a one-day sight-seeing. The tour organisers said the tour could be made possible due to the support of the Lakshadweep Tourism Development.
N V Paulose, who had come to drop his friend, said a long-pending dream of Mangaloreans to
visit the Lakshdweep islands was finally being realised with the tourist ship.
No support from tourism department
RITES, under the railway ministry, and Karnataka State Industrial Investment Development Corporation (KSIIDC) which had made an extensive study about the passenger cruise services between Mangalore and Lakshadweep islands had submitted a report to the then minister for large and medium scale industries R V Deshpande. Among a slew of suggestions, the study had suggested further enhancement of facilities at the Old Mangalore port. It also had recommended outsourcing of passenger cruise services to private entities. But the report was allegedly sidelined by successive governments.
"This first cruise trip was solely possible due to the efforts of the Mangalore-based entrepreneurs and Laskhadweep Tourism Development board," sources told Express.
